The
Tale of Saint Oswin of Mavramorn, patron of non-combatant soldiers.
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| Fr. Oswin, wearing The Armor. |
During
the Stavanger-Mavramorn war, (100+ years ago) Fr. Oswin was a
Mavramorn Army Chaplain. At the Battle of Five Hills, Fr. Oswin
traversed the battlefield, praying and tending to the wounded. He
went as always, unarmed, with his clerical stole over top of his
light armor jacket. His actions and prayers saved many from death. As
he knelt in prayer with a dying soldier, an enemy sharpshooter, an
impious man, spotted him and targeted the chaplain. This despite both
sides acknowledging chaplains as non-combatants, exempt from attack.
As
the sniper fired, a bird startled from the brush ahead of him and
took the bullet. The sniper tried to fire again, but his weapon hung
fire. Finding no mechanical fault, he fired twice more, each time
thinking he had a true shot, but Fr. Oswin appeared untouched. His
fifth shot struck Fr. Oswin in the chest, but the chaplain continued
his ministrations unharmed. At this sight, the sharpshooter threw
away his weapon and made his way to the Mavramorn lines to surrender,
asking only to meet the chaplain. When they met, the sniper explained
what had happened.
Mavramorn
soldiers inspected Fr. Oswin's armor, and found that it had not only
a large hole in the chest, but another in the back. The bullet passed
through Fr. Oswin without harming him. At this, the sniper fell at
Fr. Oswin's feet and begged his forgiveness for his attempt to murder
him. The priest forgave him, but the Mavramorn forces took him as
prisoner. Fr. Oswin later baptized him into the faith.
The
Army gave the Mesh jacket to a church on Mavramorn where it was
venerated as a relic, the Armor of St. Oswin. After the war, both St.
Oswin and the former sniper ended their days in peace in a monastery.
The
weapon which failed to kill Fr. Oswin was recovered by Stavanger
forces, but ever after it could not hit a living target. Time and
again it was tested and new sights attached. It would hit practice
targets, but when fired at a person it would always miss, or fail to
fire. After the war it was decommissioned, and went to a church on
Stavanger, and it also is now a relic of St Oswin.
Referee's
Information: